How Much Does a 24×24 Concrete Slab Cost in 2024?

Construction projects often involve using concrete slabs. These are flat and horizontal surfaces of cast concrete used as flooring, roofing, driveways, or walkways. If you are constructing a workshop, storage facility, or a small barndominium, a 24×24 concrete slab would make for ideal flooring. 

Concrete slabs cost money, and it is imperative that you know how much you should spend building a 24×24 concrete slab. You also need to know about the elements that affect the pricing of a concrete slab to compute its cost accurately.

We created this article to help you understand how concrete slabs work, the cost of materials you will use, and how to determine the overall cost of a 24×24 concrete slab.

What Factors Will Determine the Cost of a 24×24 Concrete Slab?

Several factors affect the costs of concrete slabs. The first one is the size of the slab you are making. A 24×24 concrete slab will have an overall area of 576 square feet. Size is critical because the larger the concrete slab is, the more materials you will need to make it. 

The location and condition of the construction site also affect cost. If you are a building on a site that is difficult to access, there might be additional charges for delivering building materials. Sloped construction sites are also more challenging, so expect labor charges to be more expensive compared to making a concrete slab in a flat and level site. 

How Much Does a 24×24 Concrete Slab Cost?

Understanding the characteristics of a concrete slab is crucial because they can affect its cost. Below are some of them and a brief explanation of why they drive concrete slab prices. 

Thickness

Concrete slabs can be thick or thin, depending on their use. Understanding the thickness of a concrete slab is important because a thick concrete slab uses more materials than a thin one. 

The rule of thumb is that the more load it will bear, the thicker the concrete slab should be. A concrete slab for use as the base of a garden bench or outdoor grill can be a bit thin because its load is light. You need thick concrete slabs for use as floorings for multi-car garages, barndominiums, shipping container homes, and pole barn homes.

A thin slab under enormous weights will end up cracking and breaking, so you’ll have to recast concrete. 

Thickness	Cost per square foot
4 inches	$5.35
5 inches	$5.80
6 inches	$6.20
8 inches	$7

Inclusions

Inclusions are things that are critical to making a concrete slab. Think of them as the basic materials and equipment you need to make your concrete slab a success. An example is a one-bag cement mixer. This should be enough for small construction projects, like a 576-square-foot slab. Aside from helping you work faster, a mixer can help ensure that you thoroughly mix concrete so it attains its maximum strength and durability upon curing.

Ask around if there are rental companies near you with cement mixers. If you expect more construction projects in the future, you might consider buying a cement mixer because purchasing one will eventually be cheaper than renting. 

Inclusion	Cost
Cement Mixer	Prices start at $439 (2)
Concrete Mixer Rental	$97 per day (3)
Concrete Rebar	$1.40 – $1.85 per 2 feet (4)
Wire Mesh	$0.28 per square foot (5)

With Additional Features

Some concrete slabs require sprucing up, so you’ll want to add some extra features. For example, you might want to stain a concrete slab if you will use it as flooring for your barndo. Staining will give your concrete slab color and make it more attractive. If your floor plan includes an outdoor kitchen, you can give the concrete slab floor some texture by stamping it.

Stamping makes the slab resemble wood, tiles, or bricks, so it looks great without being too expensive. Although staining and stamping result in an increase in barndominium costs, it will increase the value of your property. 

Features	Cost
Vapor barrier	$0.50-$0.70 per square foot (6)
Stamped concrete	$9 – $20 per square foot, inclusive of materials (7)
Stained concrete	$2 – $4 per square foot, staining only (8)

24×24 Concrete Slab Cost Breakdown

Let’s check out some concrete slab components and their estimated costs.

Concrete Bag Cost Estimate

This is the first thing you need to check because the concrete mix is the main material for making concrete slabs. The price of a bag of concrete mix varies depending on the type of mixture and the size of the bag. Expect to pay around $4.50 – $27 per bag of concrete mix ⁽⁹⁾.

Labor Cost Estimate

A professional may charge around $2 – $3 per square foot of concrete ⁽¹⁰⁾. You can save money by making the concrete slab, but it is not advisable if you haven’t done it before. 

Truck Cost Estimate

Buying wet concrete is an alternative to mixing concrete and is recommended for sizeable projects. You can save time because you just need to pour concrete on your formwork. Wet concrete costs around $125 – $133 per cubic yard ⁽¹¹⁾. Some suppliers also have fuel surcharges of around $20 – $40 per truckload, depending on your location ⁽⁹⁾. 

How Do You Calculate the Cost for a 24×24 Concrete Slab?

Now that you know the basics of concrete slabs, let’s compute how much you need to spend on a 24×24 concrete slab. We’re providing a few price cost averages you can use to compute the cost of your 24×24 concrete slab.

Let’s start by determining how much concrete mix you need to make a 576-square-foot concrete slab. We will use six inches as a reference for thickness since this is how thick most concrete slabs are. According to this calculator, you will need 10.667 cubic yards of concrete for a 6-inch slab measuring 24×24 feet. Let’s add another 10% to account for wastage, and you’ll need 11.73 cubic yards of concrete.

According to the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, a cubic yard of concrete costs $137 ⁽¹⁰⁾. This means that you will need around $ 1,607.01 worth of concrete for a concrete slab measuring 576 square feet. 

Let us now compute the cost of a 24×24 concrete slab per square foot. A 6-inch thick concrete slab costs $6.20 per square foot ⁽¹⁾. We now multiply this figure by the total area of a 24×24 slab, which is 576 square feet and add 10% for the wastage allowance. The total cost is $3,928. 

Should You DIY or Hire a Contractor for Your 24×24 Concrete Slab Project?

Although you will save on labor expenses, it is better to hire a contractor to make a concrete slab. An expert can work faster and more efficiently. If you haven’t made a concrete slab before, you can take this chance to learn to know how to make a concrete slab in the future. 

Conclusion

Knowing how to compute the costs of concrete slabs is important to prepare an accurate budget. It will help ensure you won’t get short-changed when hiring a contractor. If you make the slab yourself, you’ll know immediately if you are spending more than necessary.

Using the information provided above, you can accurately compute how much a concrete slab will cost, no matter how large or thick it is. Follow our Facebook page for more information about barndominium financing, insurance, and other useful topics. 

References

1. How Much Does A Concrete Slab Cost In 2023? Homeadvisor.
2. Cost Of A Concrete Driveway ConcreteNetwork
3. What Are Common Rebar Prices for Concrete Projects? Angi
4. How to Compare the In-Place Cost of Wire Mesh Versus Synthetic Fibers ABC Polymer Industries
5. How Much Does Crawl Space Encapsulation Cost? Angi 
6. Stamped Concrete Cost For Patios, Driveways & More ConcreteNetwork
7. Concrete Floor Cost – What You’ll Pay For Polished Or Stained Concrete ConcreteNetwork
8. How Much Does Concrete Cost? Angi
9. How Much Does a New Concrete Slab Cost? Angi
10. How Much Does It Cost to Have Concrete Delivered in Your Area? Fixr
11. Ready Mixed Concrete Industry Data Survey. NRMCA